★★★★★
It's always seemed like a great musical concept, Oliver Wood's rustic- modern, country- blues narration merged with Chris Wood's unfettered jazz imagination. But all of that potential has finally been realized-- with panache--on the Wood Brothers' Buddy Miller-produced fourth studio album, The Muse ...
- www.relix.com
2013-11-07
★★★★★
The Muse represents a quantum leap for the Wood Brothers as they fully integrate multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jano Rix into the band, a process nurtured with not inconsiderable expertise by producer Buddy Miller. At the same time, the album suggests avenues of exploration for the threesome as they continue their evolution. Rix distinguishes himself immediately here by supplying a bouncy fluent piano foundation to "Wasting My Mind...
- www.allaboutjazz.com
2013-10-18
★★★★★
Rather than release one hour long disc, singer/songwriter/guitarist Oliver and bassist brother Chris Wood (best known through his work with Medeski, Martin & Wood) deliver two shorter ones that run a half hour each. Last May's Sky High is followed four months later by Nail & Tooth. Both show how the live setting pushes the sibling's already elastic folk/jazz/rock/soul/gospel to new heights that the studio versions, as good as they are from the duo's three albums and one studio EP, just hint at...
- www.americansongwriter.com
2013-04-25
★★★★★
The follow-up to multi-instrumentalist siblings Chris (Medeski, Martin & Wood) and Oliver's (King Johnson) successful debut is another classy set of rootsy folk, blues, gospel and roots ruminations. Chris' high lonesome voice and the music's naked lope are both righteous and somber with glimmers of hope shining through the dark cracks...
- www.americansongwriter.com
2013-04-25
★★★★★
The first of two live recordings set to be released in 2012, Sky High effectively captures all the charm and empathetic musicianship The Wood Brothers have demonstrated on both their previously released studio recordings and in their frequent live performances. The trio format effectively distinguishes it from the limited edition EP of 2005 Live at Tonic...
- www.glidemagazine.com
2012-05-10
★★★★★
With each new studio recording and subsequent supporting tour, the Wood Brothers continue to evolve and mature from a fun and loose side project into a full-fledged, ambitious Americana band. That evolution takes a giant leap on Smoke Ring Halo, with the addition of percussionist Tyler Greenwell (Tedeschi/Trucks Band, Zac Brown Band,) as a full time member, and veteran engineer Jim Scott (Tom Petty, Wilco) behind the glass pushing the record button...
- www.popmatters.com
2012-01-12
★★★★★
Southern Ground Smoke Ring Halo, the third album from The Wood Brothers, finds them continuing to explore rootsy Americana while creating their most musically rich and diverse album yet. The Wood Brothers, featuring singer/songwriter Oliver and bassist Chris (also of Medeski, Martin & Wood), showcase Oliver's Van Morrison-like soulful voice and warm acoustic guitar melodies along with Chris's always impressive bass playing...
- www.jambands.com
2011-09-27
★★★★★
Southern Ground For their fourth album, The Wood Brothers switched over to Zac Brown's Southern Ground label and brought Jim Scott (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wilco) onboard to produce. Smoke Ring Halo provides folksy, tender ballads and simplistic yet impactful songwriting. The duo plays the songs in a rugged style that is full of feeling as they pluck at those strings and tap out percussion on their wooden instruments in a very visceral manner...
- www.relix.com
2011-09-19
★★★★★
Track Listing: Up Above My Head; Mystery Train Part II; Liza Jane; Fixing a Hole; Get Out My Life Woman Sing It Again; Midnight Rider; Comes Love. Personnel: Oliver Wood: guitar, vocals; Chris Wood: bass, vocals. Style: Blues Highlights of The Wood Brothers' live performances invariably include ingenious renditions of choice covers in addition to their own well-wrought originals...
- www.allaboutjazz.com
2010-08-20